


A Little More Bearable

by missmallorymarie



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 15:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10901850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missmallorymarie/pseuds/missmallorymarie
Summary: One small man sets out on a quest to make the person he hates the least in the world his wife.





	A Little More Bearable

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends, this is just a little thing I did in procrastination of my work on stuff I need to do before my final exams this week. I was recently pulled back into SnK hell because of a certain boyfriend of mine, and was reminded of how much I fucking love LeviHan. And if I don't get to marry Hanji, Levi should at least be the one who gets to. 
> 
> Enjoy.

“Erwin.”

 

The commander of the 104th Survey Corps glanced up from the weekly report he was so fervently working on getting done in time, meeting the gaze of Lance Corporal Levi Ackerman sitting opposite him. He looked as though he had some pressing matter on his mind. Erwin, still engrossed in his work, made an inquisitive grunt, prompting Levi to continue with his query.

 

“...What do you suppose it’d take to get ahold of a shard of that titan crystal shit?”

 

That was...a good question. Erwin put down his quill, and sitting upright, diverted his focus to this matter instead. He had to admit that he, too, was curious now. He pondered what possible circumstances would allow for them to break through the stronger-than-steel crystalline shell that encased Annie Leonhart. After she had created the crystal cocoon in which she now hibernated, the corps had tried with all its strength to break through, but to no avail. Breaking a piece off? Who could say what that would call for?

 

“I..I’m not certain. Why do you ask?” the commander inquired. He couldn’t tell for sure, but he could have sworn he saw a faint, rosy hue grace Levi’s cheeks as he muttered a reply.

 

“I need it….for Hanji.”

 

One did not need to explain any more to Erwin Smith than that. Hanji Zoe was never one to put her scientific research to rest for long. She always had a hypothesis to test or a specimen to examine. If she had told Levi that she’d like to examine a sample of the crystal, it wouldn’t have come across as a surprise to Erwin. And though impossible as the task may seen, he knew that if she had set her mind on having a piece of that crystal, that she’d be determined to have it.

 

Still, Erwin was stumped. Nothing thus far had worked in terms of shattering the cocoon, but…

 

“Honestly, it beats me,” sighed the commander. “ To my knowledge, the material surrounding Annie is impenetrable. But, if you maybe scoured around the base of it, you may find a sample small enough for whatever Hanji intends to do with it.”

 

Levi seemed to ponder this for a moment before responding with a semi-positive-sounding grunt, and rising to his feet. He nodded and thanked Erwin before taking his leave.

 

* * *

 

 

Levi took satisfaction in the sound of the heels of his boots made on the solid flooring. Though lacking as he may have been in terms of stature, he made up for it in the refinement and dignity with which he presented himself. And with every _clomp_ of his heels, he felt that much taller, that much more powerful, and that much more in control.

 

The descent to where Annie was being held below the surface was not all that far a journey, but being left alone with his thoughts on the way made it feel like it went on forever. He was a man on a mission, after all. He had his reasons for wanting that crystal. Yes, it was for Hanji, but Levi hadn’t been completely honest with Erwin about the specifics.

 

Though Levi was sure there was suspicion amongst the members of the Survey Corps, he and Hanji had become secretly involved romantically some time ago. Odd as they both may have seemed to the others, they just seemed to fit well together. Levi was well aware of his own quirks, and, oh _god_ , was he aware of hers. But something about her captivated him. They worked well together on the battlefield, and she seemed to understand the underlying messages in his uncouth and complex manner of speaking. He liked not feeling like he was constantly speaking to a _total_ idiot.

 

He thought of the first time they had kissed. He’d been spending some quiet time in his quarters, brewing a cup of tea and situating himself in the corner chair with a good book. His peace had been disturbed, however, by a noise down the hall. He’d determined it was coming from Hanji’s room, and stormed his way there. At this point in the evening, he’d hoped she’d know it was time to shut the hell up.

 

He pounded on the door until he heard an excited invitation to come in.

 

“Levi! Look what I---”

 

“Do you have any fucking clue how _loud_ you are, four-eyes?” he’d said with a scowl.

 

“Ah, sorry, but look!” Hanji gestured toward a box that rested near the foot of her bed, obviously the source of the loud _whump_ that had resonated all the way down to Levi’s room moments ago.

 

“I understand that your job is so dull that a shitty box is probably the most exciting thing you’ve seen in weeks, but can you maybe take it down a notch in here?”

 

She dismissed his comment with a wave and went on. “This, Levi, is no mere box. It’s what the box contains that is what’s so exciting!”

 

And with that, she pulled out numerous pieces of equipment. As research was not his area of expertise, Levi couldn’t identify what everything was. Hanji seemed to know what everything was for. She passionately went on to describe each piece and place it on her workbench, as if displaying treasures.

 

“Where did all this crap come from anyway?” Levi had asked, feigning apathy even though he was beginning to find her enthusiasm rather charming.

 

“It’s just some stuff I requisitioned a few months ago, and it finally got approved! I honestly wasn’t sure if it would go through, but...Oh!” Distracted from her point, she had pulled out a tube-like thing that appeared to have lenses on either end.

 

“Do I want to know about that one?”

 

“Of course, you do! This one is perhaps the most fascinating tool of them all,” she began as she eagerly gestured him over to the window with her. “This is a telescope. You’re supposed to be able to look through it and see things a great distance away. I’ve heard that they’ve been using them in the capital to track the positions of the stars and phases of the moon.”

 

He watched her as she adjusted it to her liking, looking up at god knows what. The way the light coming through the window shone on her hair… It actually didn’t look like such a filthy mess when she bothered to wash it.

 

“Ah! Here! Levi, take a look for yourself.” She left it in position on small tripod that had accompanied it in the box. Hanji tugged his sleeve, bringing him nearer to the device.

 

She was so adamant about his catching a glimpse of this sight that he had felt it’d have been more work to tell her no than to just roll with it.

 

“Fine, fine. Just stop pulling m---- oh.” It was unlike anything he’d seen before. He could recall many nights of sitting on rooftops, looking at the distant stars. But this was another level entirely. They seemed so close. They shone with such breathtaking intensity. Everything seemed so much bigger in that instant. There could be other worlds, other universes. There could be anything out there.

 

“Not bad…”

 

“I knew you’d like it,” Hanji beamed. She continued on, but what she said wasn’t something Levi could recall. He remembered thinking that maybe, if there were other universes, maybe one existed in which titans did not. Maybe there was a universe out there where...where the two of them….

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, interrupting his train of thought.

 

And the next thing he remembered was noticing her lips. They looked so pink, so soft and delicate. He could recall the way his face grew warm as he noticed these little details, and the next thing he heard come out of his own mouth was, “kiss me”.

 

Hanji had expressed some confusion but upon seeing the look in Levi’s eyes, began to take notice of the shift in atmosphere between them.

 

“I said, _kiss me_ ,” he requested again, this time with more urgency, more desire in his tone. His fingers firmly but gently grasped onto either lapel of her jacket, tugging her closer down to him. Their lips met, and from that moment on, things began to change between them.

 

They tried to hide it initially, for fear that it would be seen as unprofessional by their comrades, their superiors, and the arriving trainees. Though it had been a long time since their relationship began, they had never officially addressed it to anyone of their comrades. Still, by this point, Levi had the sneaking suspicion that they all knew already and had chosen not to say anything.

 

* * *

 

Upon arriving at his destination, Levi noticed there were a few others down there, probably standing guard. They saluted and stood at attention upon seeing him. He nodded at them and approached the crystal. He could practically feel the floor quaking under these two frightened saps. He smirked to himself as he leaned over, searching the area around the base for a piece that would hopefully be easy enough for him to cut into a shape that would fit the empty ring set he had stored in his footlocker.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of something small and reflective. He reached for it, and, lo and behold, it was just the shape he was looking for. It was easy enough for him to pocket the small shard without having to stop and explain to the two men.

 

He straightened himself up and brushed the dust off his knees. He’d have to assign someone to cleanup duty down here at a later time. There were more pressing matters at hand here.

 

“At ease,” he said, allowing the two to relax as he made his way back from whence he came. He fumbled with the crystalline substance sitting in his pocket. Hopefully it would cooperate and allow itself to be cut to resemble that of a precious gemstone. To Hanji, he knew this would be much more valuable than any jewel could ever be.

 

* * *

 

A few days later, Levi found himself fumbling with the stone in his pocket yet again. This time, however, it have been cut down to size and polished up, and carefully placed in the ring set he’d held onto for all these years. Usually steady as a rock, he felt as though his legs were about to collapse underneath him and like his heart was stuck in his throat.

 

He came to realize that he’d never known what it was to feel truly nervous until he had started dating Hanji. The first time he’d felt this way had been when they first decided to consummate their relationship.

 

In that situation, he had been particularly nervous that he might accidentally hurt her. Where he came from, no one was physically intimate out of love. It was always about power and dominance. His own mother had been a victim of this, and he had borne witness to the violent ways she had been taken advantage of by several of her clients. He never wanted to be anything like those men, but that was the entirety of his exposure to sexual situations. And he didn’t want his and Hanji’s first time to resemble that in any way, shape, or form. In the end, it was nothing like he feared it would be. The way she smiled, the tender look in her eyes as she’d cupped his cheek reassured him. That evening had been one filled with pure passion.

 

Now, here he was, walking into the dining area with the intent of asking her to spend the rest of her life by his side, in front of Erwin, Moblit...Mike….all the new recruits… The more he thought of letting them all see him be so vulnerable in that way didn’t help the shaking.

 

With a deep breath, he pushed the door open, and tried to mimic his usual, confident stride that commanded so much dignity and respect. He didn’t think it was working very well.

 

He spotted her sitting with Erwin and a couple other squad leaders on the other side of the room and made a beeline toward the table. When she spotted him out of the corner of her eye, she grinned and waved him over. It had no effect on him, as he walked with such a quick pace full of determination anyway. There was one goal, and one goal only.

 

Levi slammed both hands down on the table upon reaching his destination.

 

“Hanji. I need to talk to you.”

 

“Hmm? Oh sure! What’s going on?” she asked, taking it as a matter that was probably work-related table conversation.

 

“Just...stand up and come to this side of the aisle.”

 

She appeared confused, but followed orders upon sensing the urgency in his tone.

 

“Levi, is there something wro--?” her expression changed, as did every face in the hall, upon seeing the corporal drop to the floor. Whispers and murmurs filled the room as Levi took her hand in his own. People were staring, and he was uncomfortable as hell, but this was more important than that, more important than the fact he was now on the floor with whatever filth may reside there.

 

The pair locked eyes, and it was in that instant that Levi’s strength returned to him. He was no longer trembling, and he tightened his grasp on her hand.

 

“Hanji, I know this is earning us all kinds of stares, but I’ll make this quick. You’ve made living in this horrible, fucked up world a little more bearable. You’ve made this place less of a goddamn hellhole. So much so, that I can’t begin to imagine what life here would be like without you sharing it with me. I look at you and I see the infinite possibilities.” He pulled the ring out of his pocket, ready to slip it onto her finger if she’d accept it.

 

“So that’s why...as long as we’re both still alive, will you be my wife?”

 

The crowd gasped and then fell silent. They’d only ever seen Hanji tear up because she was getting emotional about her research. No one was sure of what to make of her crying now. She seemed to be speechless, which was a first, and everyone was a little shocked by it.

 

All she did was nod. Levi’s heart skipped a beat. He knew that looking up at her like this and sliding the ring onto her hand was a memory he’d never forget.

 

As soon as he rose to his feet, she squeezed him with all her might. He found his arms wrapped around the curve of her waist as she shifted her hands to the back of his head, and leaned in to kiss him. There was nothing to try and hide anymore, after all.

 

Everyone cheered for them and expressed their congratulations throughout the day as they went about their daily activities. Levi thought that if he had planned better, he might have thought to do this at dinner time, so that they could go to bed and not have to deal with this awkward stopping every five seconds to thank someone for their well wishes. Whatever. It would soon pass.

 

* * *

 

That evening, the couple situated themselves on Levi’s bed. He sat upright, leaning against the headboard and only half engrossed in his novel. He was a little preoccupied with stroking Hanji’s hair as the rested her head on his lap.

 

“This ring is absolutely amazing, by the way. Where did you find something like this out here?” she asked.

 

He smiled to himself. He knew she’d ask, and he knew she’d lose her shit when she found out. This was the moment he was most excited about.

 

“Well, the ring itself is something I’ve had laying around for a while. Found it somewhere before I got here. Thought it might be useful someday. It was missing a stone, though. That bit came from the Female Titan’s crystal.”

 

Hanji’s eyes grew wide, and that animated, enthusiastic grin he had come to know all too well spread across her face.

 

She looked at the ring, and then at Levi. It might not have been in his nature to show how he cared, but it was little things like this that showed how much thought and effort he put into such gestures. Many would disagree with her, but she was certain she’d just agreed to marry the most loving and affectionate man alive.

  
Being together, they decided, made existence in this world a little less of a burden.

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: So, a few mistakes have been pointed out to me since posting last night, and changes have been made accordingly. Shoutout to the people helping me improve this. I knew it'd be full of errors anyway smh. This is why you don't edit your own work, kiddos.


End file.
